Federal officials paid nearly eight times the average price of homes in Ajo, Ariz., to build 21 family-type residences for U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees.
The new homes cost about $680,000 each, compared to the average price of existing homes in the area of $86,500, according to the Department of Homeland Security inspector general.
The same CBP officials also paid more than $118,000 each for 20 mobile homes in the same area, the IG said in a report made public Thursday.
Besides ignoring “key acquisition controls and procedures,” the exorbitant costs were caused by CBP paying too much for land and bought more land that it needed for the two projects, the report said.
The DHS IG also pointed to the fact the agency “paid the General Services Administration to manage the project, but did not adequately justify using its services.”
The agency “also increased project funding seven times without specifying the reason for the increases and how the funds would be spent,” the IG said.
“These issues occurred because CBP ignored recommendations from a study conducted to guide the project,” the report said, noting that the agency also “did not have procedures to prevent purchasing more land than was necessary, as well as nonessential items and amenities.”
Ajo is a small town near the border with Mexico in a remote, desert area of Arizona.
The housing is intended for CBP officials and agents involved in border protection activities.
Go here to read the full report.
Mark Tapscott is executive editor of the Washington Examiner.
